February 04, (THEWILL) – Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, has announced the deployment of free transport buses to ease the pains of residents in the state.
The development may not be unconnected to the hike in transport fares following scarcity of petrol and the new naira notes.
THEWILL reports that residents in the Ibadan metropolis on Friday, embarked on a protest over the development.
The Protesters had injured a police officer, who blocked their way to the Governor’s Office at the Oyo state Secretariat.
While Makinde had suspended his campaign in response to the protest, his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, in a statement on Saturday, said the Governor has put all the security agencies in the state on high alert to avert any breakdown of law and order.
Makinde also urged the people to ensure they use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to usher in a responsible government in the forthcoming general election.
He said the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses would be deployed to more routes within the state for free, in order to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
Makinde also said the state was also working with Chairmen of local governments to provide immediate palliatives for vulnerable people.
He said, “I have always maintained that peaceful protests are fine. When things are not going how we want them to go, we have a right and even a responsibility to protest.
“In response to this, I have suspended all campaign activities forthwith. I have also met with the heads of security agencies in Oyo State to restore calm and maintain the peace in our dear state.
“As a palliative measure, I have directed that the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses should be deployed to more routes within the state for free.
“We are also working with Local Government Chairmen to see what immediate palliatives we can make available to the most vulnerable amongst us to alleviate the hardships that the twin scarcity of fuel and the naira have brought upon our people.”
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